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tirarns @l hlltlldo RUSSELL S. PENNIMAN, OF DOVER, NE /V J ERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE ATLAN- TIC DYEAMITE (JOMPANY, THE REPANNO CHEMICAL LHE HERCULES IOIVDER COMPANY.

COMPANY, AND

EXPLOEWE COMP'QUND.

lFSPEOIEICATIGN forming part of Letters Patent No. 333,152. dated December 29, 1885. Application filed March 3, 1885, SerialSo. 137,661. (No specimens.)

I to its best form is protected. in accordance with the invention disclosed by me and claimed in my Letters Patent dated February 10, 1885, No. 312,010.

in a certain application for Letters Patent 1 tiled by me May 3, 1883, Serial No. 93,751, I

describe and claim an explosive compound composed of chlorate oi potash and protected nitrate of ammonia, and said compound is highly effective and in all Ways desirable if its compounding, storage, transportation, and use be carried on during seasons of low temperature; but I find there is z. tendency to spontaneous combustion on the partof the potash element it, after compounding, it is J long exposed to teni nzratures above, say, Sil Fahrenheit. l-or obviating this tendency I have found it desirable to keep the chlorate and nitrate separately, and to put them up in such form that the best proportions can be accurately determined without the trouble of weighing measuring whenever the compound is required for immediate use. lnthus proceeding 1 find that, although chlorate of potash-is not -cnerally eln d among; the hy J groscopic salts, it is ntn itl-ieless specially liable to cake and harden .olh. vheu needed for use more or trouble lr involved in agz'tin reducing; it to the illlil),-4.il\"lt1 l condition requisite for obtainiliig proper results.

The objectoi my present invention is to obviate these objections, and I do this by mixing with the dry and iinclydividcd chlorate oi' potash a suliiclcnt quantity oi. such dry finelypowdercd material as. will, by adheriru to or being; interposed betu'etni the particles of chlorate,rcnder them practically incapable of corsolidating under ordinary conditions of exposure to the atmosphere. I prefer that Y said material be ine. :*t-as, for instance, carbonate of magnesia or chalk or infusorial 5o earth-although good results will accrue from the use of such bodies as dextrine, starch, or wood pulp, the important characteristics of such material being that itmust be capable of being thoroughly dried, finely powdered, and incapable of solidifying under ordinary circumstances. Of the several materials mentioned, I know of none better suited for my purposes than carbonate ol'inagnesia.

In preparing the chlorate of potash for use in my compound it is first thoroughly dried while in a finely-divided condition, and then mixed with, say, from two to iive per cent. of its weightof finely-powdered and thoroughlydried carbonate of magnesia until the latter is well distributed throughout the mass and the partielesof chlorate are surrounded therewith as far as may be practicable, and thereby separated. from each other and rendered incapable of solidifying or caking. In producing the 0 explosive for storage or transportation Dump the thus prepared chlorate and the protected nitrate of ammonia in separate packages and IllOPEllY proportioned, so that the contents of any two packages may be readily combined or mixed without need of appliances for weighing: or measuring.

The proportion of carbonate of magnesia or its equivalentto the chlorate may be somewhat varied without materially affecting the results desired; but any of the carbonate or its equivalent above what is actually required to render the grains or particles oi chlorate incapable ofcaking, consolidating, orsol idiiying in ma n'ould be a rnorenrlcss ol' jcctionablc S5 or useless Sill plusagre in the compound.

For obtaining the best results .i. employ withthirteen and onchalf parts oi the protected nitrate of ammonia eleven and one-half parts of the combined chlorate potash and go magnesia; but these proportions do not enter into the gist of my invention; nor is it an essential part thereof that the nitrate of ammonia be protected with the soft eductsor products of petroleum, as set forth in any at'ore- 5 said Letters Patent and application. while that particularproteeting mediumis, as I believe, best suitedfor mypurposes, it is of sulphur with forty nine parts of the pro-.

tected nitrate-and then to this mixture I add *iorty-sir; parts of the combined chlorate of potash and carbonate of magnesia.

The proportions herein stated may be largely varied; but I deem it advisable that the proteete-d nitrate, with or without the sulphur should never be less than about onethird in weight of the whole compound.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new an d desire to secure by Letters Patent The explosive compound, substantially as hereinbefore described, composed of grains or particles of nitrate of ammonia coated or protected against deliquescence, and grains or particles.of-ehlorate of potash rendered incapable of coking or solidifyingin mass by means of a dry powdered 1naterialsueh as carbon ate inzignesia ns and .i'or specified.

RUSSELL S. PEXNIMAN.

\Vitanesses:

(JimnLns l-I. )lnxsox, JAMES H. Nnnrnnoo'n.

the purposes 30 

